Benjamin was pleased because there were so many things to be pleased
about.  Last night's dinner, a new experience for him, had been
delightful; while eating, Benjamin had made small talk with anyone who
seemed familiar with the food, talking about how it was made and from
what.  He had given his cigarettes, marijuana, and dreamgum to Shaw, idly
thinking that the whole hemp plant would have been so much more useful
than only the narcotic leaves, the least useful part of the plant.

He and the others had found the razor puzzling, since none of them had
grown facial hair since their rebirth on the River. Moreover, it was
what Josephine called a safety razor, which many of them were
unacquainted with.

Benjamin had been especially glad to see Shaw joking during the
council the night before.  Perhaps the group's mood was beginning to
lighten, he thought. Sometimes, they were as bad as Congress.  Maybe
Adams was right.

In the morning, Benjamin had watched Josephine swim, considering
joining her.  He couldn't help but watch Josephine air-dry herself.
When Josephine and Shaw had left the water, Benjamin went to bathe
himself, swim, and ponder.

Louis had nearly recovered from his anger at Joseph's...escape? No,
that wasn't quite the proper word. Theft was more like it. Someone had
stolen Joseph's life, and thereby his information, from the group.

At breakfast, Benjamin strode purposefully to Shaka. "May I examine
again your Scythe, Shaka?" he asked. When Shaka acceded, Benjamin sat
down with it and examined it thoroughly. Returning it to Shaka, he
noted to the group that it appeared to have been smelted and forged
with ordinary iron-working technology, using a hotter fire than would
be likely with wood or bamboo, and rapidly cooled, probably in the
River.

Ehrich, who had been lost in thought that morning, sat beside Benjamin.
"It seems I've fallen in with a somewhat unusual circle," he said to
the other man. "Not only do you possess the only metal I've seen in
this place, the revelations from the one called Joseph make it seems
as though there are those of power interested in this group as well.
And since I wouldn't be disappointed to discover the secrets behind
this nether world, I'll follow along with your clique."

Benjamin smiled in response.

Mandragola continued to sit apart from the group, but appeared
slightly more relaxed. He listened intently to Benjamin, but
contributed little to the conversation.

Louis, who had spent most of the morning to himself as well, spoke to
the new lazari, introducing himself. "I am Louis St-Just.  I died
1794, Paris, France." He ate breakfast with relish, making small-talk
with other members of the group.

Josephine and Shaw sat together at breakfast. Josephine ate sparingly,
smiling and talking with the others over their meal. Noticing the cube
in her grail, she held it out to Shaw. He reached in and removed
it. "Dreams," he said softly, "why is it always dreams?"  He stowed
her dreamgum in the bottom of his grail.

Finally, the discussion turned to the group's travel north.  Shaka
finished his breakfast and stood with his arms crossed, his scythe
tucked into one of the towels around his waist.  "There has been too
much talking over this matter," he complained. "I am proceeding to the
north by land.  It is the only sensible way.  Now that this 'Iosif' is
dead, we may proceed without hindrance.  Those that would come with
me, come with me now.  I can lead you safely past anything in our
path."

He continued, "Any of you who wish to come and learn the truth of this
place are welcome to, though I hesitate making the offer to the
newcomers.  No offense meant to either of you, but you have not proven
yourself to us.  Come with us if you will, but your loyalty must be
proven." He looked over the Ehrich and Mandragola. "To me."

"I am neither a sailor nor a soldier," Mandragola replied, "but I
would much rather venture forth on foot than by water. On the river
there is nowhere to hide, and I suggest that all those considering the
option should think twice. But if Shaw is determined to travel by
boat, then it would appear that you are short of a translator. I am
fluent in many languages and would happily lend my services. I am also
a skilled diplomat, which may come in useful should we encounter any
'unfriendly elements' along the river" 

Shaka nodded and motioned for Mandragola to stand beside him. Mishima
stood and joined the two silently.

"I see no reason to traverse the land if we can sail past our
aggressors," Josephine said casually, smiling fondly.  "I do recall
taking to the underground pipes to bypass the Germans."

Shaw stood across the circle from those favoring travel by foot and
smiled.  "Perhaps going in two groups can work out well," he
agreed. "We can scout ahead in the boat, then meet up at some point
and exchange information."

Josephine shrugged. "We should think about sailing during the evening
hours, though." She grinned and moved her shoulders up and down a
little.  "May as well take advantage of the color of my skin, eh?"

With a wink, she snapped her grail closed and stood, stretching and
brushing debris from her body.  She walked over to Shaw's side.
"Since my choice of sailing is obvious," she winked, "I'm not letting
you out of my sight, anyways."

Benjamin came to join the sailors, and Ehrich followed him. Louis
stood with Shaka and his group, while Jeanne and Charles took
their places with the boaters.

Freud sighed. "I fear I'm not much use to either group. But if you'll
have me, I'll travel by water." He glanced sidelong at Jeanne as he
spoke. 

"We should establish Signals that we might better act in Harmony,"
Benjamin ventured. "I believe a shrill Whistle will carry well over
the Water."

Shaw replied, "I doubt whistles would work over any distance, maybe
some sort of smoke signals?"

"But smoke is difficult to control," Mishima noted. "Perhaps either
smoke or a whistle as a signal for help, and other whistles for other
signals?"

Jeanne offered another possibility.  "Perhaps we might also arrange
some signals, if, for example, the land party wishes to warn us not to
come to shore, or we wish to warn them of danger we have seen at a
particular landing? A standard of some sort, painted with these red
sticks on a towel?"  She indicated the tube of lipstick from her
grail.  "We might make a pair of crossed lines for danger, and a
circle for safe passage. These two should be easily distinguishable
from a distance."

Benjamin agreed. "There is Wisdom in having different Modes of
Signaling." He suggested several short whistle signals: "meet",
"flee", "danger", "attack", and "attention"; Shaka, Ehrich, Josephine,
and Mandragola proved most adept at whistling loudly, but everyone
managed to learn the patterns. 

Finally, Charles turned to Shaka, Mishima, Louis, and Mandragola.  "A
man can walk between grailstones in a day, but exploration and careful
approach will require more time. We should meet at the third
grailstone to the north, 5 days from now.

"We will use Shaw's guidance and courage to explore the river and
lands to the north, and then meet with you in 5 days time and share
what knowledge each group has learned."

Jeanne nodded. "But the boat people may end up waiting some time for
the land party.  Is this acceptable to all?"  

When no one dissented, Charles continued.  "Let us now say our good
wishes to each other and start on our separate but similar journeys."

Closing his grail and hefting his spear, he approached Shaka.  "Go
with speed and stealth - Warrior King Shaka." Turning to each of the
others, he spoke similar words of encouragement. The groups exchanged
farewells, and the sailors headed to the boat with the circle on its
prow.

Shaw unloaded his boat and loaded the new craft with its contents, and
as many towels, weapons, and tools as could be salvaged from the
slaver's camp. Jeanne stowed the bows she had taken from their
attackers. Shaw glanced at the circle and the otherwise unmarked
bow. "It's got no name," he said. "Perhaps one will come to us during
our voyage."

They launched the boat, waving at the four who remained on the shore.

			      *  *  *  *

In a few moments, they were afloat on the River. Shaw unfurled the
mainsail and the jib, while Josephine instructed the others in hand
signals to be used when silence was required, and inquired about their
swimming and sailing experience. All could swim well enough, and
Benjamin knew much about the principles of sailing despite limited
personal experience. As Shaw demonstrated the action of the sails and
the rudder, Jeanne watched attentively. With plenty of time before
their meeting at the third grailstone, they spent most of the day
practicing sailing maneuvers, tacking up and down the River, with and
against the current which flowed relatively slowly. 

On the shore, Shaka addressed the others. "We may travel through
dangerous territory, and we must act with speed and decisiveness. When
I speak, you obey. Mishima," he turned to the Asian man, "is my
subchief. Louis has proved his worth; Mandragola, you have not, but
will surely have the opportunity. Together we can travel safely,
without fear. Take up your weapons and grails, and let us set out."

The men gathered their spears and moved through the Rivervalley,
leaving Temuchin's encampment behind them to the south. They soon lost
sight of the boat, and concentrated on the terrain ahead of them. It
was initially unpopulated; the slavers had evidently driven away or
enslaved their immediate neighbors. As evening approached, they neared
the next grailstone, and crouched in a stand of bamboo.

The huts by the grailstones were not unlike those which the group had
built on the other side of the River before they were invaded. At
dusk, the inhabitants left their dwellings to place their grails in
the grailstone and wait. They resembled Shaka: tall, black-skinned,
and bare-chested, even the women. They were armed with spears. Some
had markings on their faces or chests.

The markings filled Shaka with delight; though not his own tribe, the
people were clearly Zulu.

			      *  *  *  *

As evening approached, the River-travelers put in on the opposite
side of the river, where they had once been ambushed by Joseph and
Temuchin, and place their grails in the stone. Shaw and Jeanne warned
the others of the people to the north on this side of the River. "We
saw them kill a man," Jeanne said. Shaw added that the killing
appeared to be some form of ritual, but agreed that they should rest
in the early evening and continue on at night, when he could direct
them in nocturnal navigation. The others accepted his plan, and 
after dinner, they slept on the boat, tied to the grailstone with a
rope which Shaw had taken from his boat.

When he was sure the others were not looking, Shaw took out the cube
of dreamgum he had taken from Josephine earlier, and put it in his
mouth, curious about its effects. He was not disappointed. After a few
minutes of chewing, the gum took on an unpleasantly acidic flavor and
he fell into a heavy stupor. Images flashed before his eyes: the
people to the north, the sacrifice, a group of men and women watching
them from above, and arguing. One of the women, wearing a shirt with a
huge lion on the chest, turned as if to look at him, staring into his
eyes and making him sleepier. All returned to the darkness of sleep,
and when he awoke, the darkness of night.

			      *  *  *  *